


He Still Weeps

by Necey



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Character Death, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-14 22:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/842248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Necey/pseuds/Necey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sollux and Karkat get taken to the empress. Not all is well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Still Weeps

Sollux groaned and cracked open an eye. Everything hurt, especially his head. What had happened? And why was the floor moving? It was dim and his wrists hurt. Looking up showed he wasnt alone.

"Kk?" His head felt fuzzy and he couldn't remember what had happened. Something warm trickled down the back of his neck. Karkat opened his eyes slowly. He looked a little broken, a trickle of dried blood trailing from his nose down his chin. Sollux shook his head and immediately regretted it. He groaned and waited for the pain to subside before trying to crawl over to karkat. He couldn't quite reach, his chains keeping him in his own space.

Karkat didn't even try.

"Sollux... We're busted."

"What?" His fucking head needed to stop throbbing and let him thing, let him remember.

Karkat swallowed thickly. "slavers." Sollux felt like someone just punched him in the gut. Everything came flooding back and he wished it hadn't. He lay his head down.

"Fuck."

"maybe..." Karkat's voice broke and he was quiet for a moment. "maybe we'll just be like... Hiveslaves..."

Sollux laughed humorlessly. He wanted to cry. "I hope that happenth for you but I know where I'm going."

"... I'm s-so sor-ry sollux ohgodfuckimsorry *hic*"

Sollux looked up at him. "Shh shh kk don't cry, I'm sorry for letting thith happen."

"No no it's my fault they w-wouldn't have even f-f-found you if they weren't looking for me-hee..."

"Hush, no itth not. Kk j-jutht," he wanted to say it was ok, but it wasn't. "P-promith me y-you'll be careful, wherever you're th-thold to." Karkat nodded, a choked sound sticking in his throat. "I love you, d-don't ever forget that o-ok?"

"Shut up shut up I know you do, hf, I'm n-not going to leave you."

"You can't follow where I'm going."

Karkat sniffled. Sollux didn't cry, tears wouldn't help anything. He memorized Karkat's face. "I'll never forget you."

"Shut up s-sollux i don't want to hear that, please..."

"I know, I'm thorry but... thith ith the latht t-time I can thay it."

"Sollux stop, okay please. Plea-hese..." Karkat hiccupped again.

"I'm thorry." He wanted to hold karkat, to kiss him one last time, but he couldn't even do that.

"It's okay..."

Sollux let out a huff of morbid laughter. "No itth not." The floor stopped moving. Karkat looked up at him. His lip quivered and he bit it. "Don't fight them." Then the door opened and two huge bluebloods came in and grabbed them roughly and dragged them out. Karkat looked scared and angry but he didn't fight. Sollux didn't either. They were roughly led down a few corridors and finally into a room with the fucking Condescension herself. Oh jesus they were both fucked. She smiled and waved her guards off. "so. They shore did rough you twos up huh? Beta nota broken my new toy befor' I get ta play."

Karkat shivered and looked to the side. He looked pale.

"An den there's this shrimp." She walked over to Karkat and grabbed his chin to turn his face to her. Sollux tensed and growled but she ignored him. "Little red blood. That's some freaky shit shrimp." He glared at her but held his tongue. "Ya know the last freaky red shrimp I met tried ta mutiny. Gotta lot of trolls skrill waitin for him ta come back." She caressed his face with her thumb.

"i just want to be a threshicutioner, I don't want to mutiny."

She laughed. "Ain't mutcha your choice once yur bloods gone public. You'd be used as a figurehead kid, an I can't be havin that."

He clenched his fist. "i could have just stayed in my hive..."

"Ya woulda hadta go off planet one day kid. Blame your ancestor, not me. Oh! That's a damn good idea. Follow me." She walked towards the back wall.

"hunh?" he couldnt help but follow. Sollux was close behind. She stopped at a nondescript door and pressed her thumb to a panel.

"Ain't nobouy gettin in here cept me sos you bouys in for a treat." She walked down a long hallway. karkat followed looking even more scared. As they walked they could hear beeps and computer sounds. There was a faint glow at the end of the corridor and they exited to a room filled with computers and wires. In the middle of the room stood a pillar of wires and in the wires hung the helmsman.

"Oh jesus." Sollux said quietly. Karkat put a hand over his mouth and closed his eyes. That explained why she was here. The helmsman looked... Bad. She walked over to him and papped his face.

"Poor baby, look who I brought for ya ta sea. Look familiar right?" Helmsmans eyes opened a crack and the beeping made almost a warbled type of voice. It sounded sad. "Kid looks just like im don't he? Been how long now? Ya ever miss those days baby?" Helmsmans machines made a fizzly beeping sound. helmsman looked at her nervously and the beeping went back to normal.

"h-ee looktch fam-milliher..."

"Uh-huh, who does he look like baby?" She spoke like one would to a favored child.

"... Mhe."

"Whata 'bout the other one hmm?"

The helmsman was quiet. A few tears trickled down his face. "h... Him." he whispered.

She grinned. "Ain't he cute? In a gimpy shrimpy kinda way. Trying ta figure out what ta do wit him, got any ideas?"

"thc-thcafe... Pleacthe dont h-hurt thicth o-one..."

"And where would ya want me to keep im? Ain't gonna keep around a shrimp that ain't got a use."

"thcafe... Thcaf-fe."

"Hmm, would be totes fuckin hilarious ta have the sufferers sprawn leadin my armies..."

Karkat nodded. "i would. Id be loyal i fucking swear."

"Would ya really? I tell ya to kill ya friends you'd do it for me?"

Karkat froze. "i..." his lip quivered and he looked down. "I could do everything but that..."

"We'll then you ain't gonna be loyal now are ya? Pity, woulda been fuckin sweet."

"no, pl.. I, you could get someone else... A-and i mean my friends wouldn't, they wouldn't get in the way."

She shook her head. "Nuh-uh, I ain't lettin nobouy led my army without complete fuckin loyalty. Ya can't even follow one shrimple order."

Karkat was trembling. "what... Are you going to do then?"

helmsman whispered "thcafe" again pleadingly.

"Hmm. Baby here wants ya to be safe, but I can't think of a single fuckin reason ta do that."

"please... I-id, id stay here or do pa-paperwork." he swallowed.

"Jutht leave him alone." Sollux's voice cracked and he sounded terrified.

"Oh? Little baby wants ya safe as shell. Too bad." Karkat took a step away from her, eyes wide.

"No! Jutht let him fucking go!"

"Aw, little baby cares, can't be havin that now. You belong to me boy, I'm the only one ya gonna care about from now on."

Karkat shuddered. "n-no, i can, be useful."

"I'm never going to care about you you fucking bitch." Sollux stepped in front of karkat and glared at her.

She laughed. "You got a 'tude! You're gonna be lots a fun little baby, I can tell."

Karkat clutched the back of sollux's shirt. "Sollux stop, i dont think y-youre he-helping.."

"Ya know how to get tha most outa a helmsman boy?" Sollux didn't answer. "Ya gotta break em first, ain't that funny?" No. Nononono she couldnt. "Ya know how I broke my baby?" She jabbed he thumb at the helmsman. "Go on an give it a guess." Karkat was shaking like a leaf behind him. "Ya ain't gonna guess? Aight, I killed his little bro pal in fronta the whole fuckin world, sold his lusus wanna be to tha slavers, woulda jacked his kitty cat friend all up ins but bitch ran away. His tude just about disappeared, fancy that huh?" She was grinning wickedly.

Karkat gripped his shirt harder and forced out a whisper. "no." Sollux was shaking slightly due to being so tense.

"I gotta get rid a red there anyhow, might as well make some use a him doncha think? How should I kill im baby?"

"pleathe dont do this..."

She ignored him and papped the helmsmans face. "Yo babe, I asked ya a question."

Helmsman frowned and whuffled softly. "no, not to him. Plethc, ill do anything you want alredy you dont need new helmthcman..."

"I know, but having a spare around aint gonna hurt nothin. Hell, thinkin a stickin im in this ship, twin engines eh? Fuckin hilarious right?"

The helmsman was quiet for a moment. "be quick... You werent quick for me..."

"Killin im quick ain't gonna break little baby too well, gotta be thinkin of that shit baby." Helmsman was thoughtful. His eyes widened and he bit his lip. "Oh oh oh tell me what ya got!" His lips trembled and he gave sollux the most pitiful look he ever seen.

"juthct do it yourthcelf, dont make him thcuffer." karkat stepped away from sollux, who just stood there like a deer caught in the headlights while the empress just laughed.

"I like that! Yeah little baby, kill em yourself." Helmsman wouldn't look at him after that. Karkats breath caught. Sollux was shaking his head, dumbstruck. "Well if you wont do it I shore 'nough will. And like baby said, I gotta do it, he's gonna suffer." It was him or her. Either way karkat died, but it could be less painful... He felt sick. Him or her, him or her. He couldn't do it, not karkat, not after all the shit they've been through. How did they expect him to be able to do this?! She started walking over and all he could do was tremble.

Karkat stumbled backwards away from her. "nononomo ohgodohgod please dont, d-dont do-hoo this i dont want to die..."

"Too bad kid." She uncaptchalouged a hunting knife and that spurred sollux into action. He rushed infront of karkat.

"Don't touch him!" Karkat sobbed behind him then put a hand over his mouth to stifle it.

"Then you gotta do it little baby."

"I- I c-can't."

"Then ima skin im, easy as that."

"s-sollux ju-hust let her, you dont need this on yo-your conscience." karkat's voice just ripped his heart to pieces. He was so scared. He couldn't let her, not if she was going to skin him. There had to be a way out of this right?? He couldn't use his powers, they'd collared him, how was he supposed to kill karkat in the first place? He could... Strangle him. He didn't know how to snap his neck quickly. He could borrow that knife. If shed let him.

"L-let me h-have the knif-fe." He was trembling. He could slit Karkat's neck, let him bleed out in less than a minute, that wouldn't hurt much would it? The empress laughed.

"Nope! Ya gotta do it barehanded." Karkat grabbed his hand shakily and tugged him away from her. He was crying now and gritting his teeth. He wanted to kill /her/ but he knew if he tried she'd definitely skin karkat and make him watch. He just, this was too much, he couldn't do this. He could... Strangle him. Hold him down and kiss his life away... "I'm waaaaitin." She twirled the knife around in her hand.

Sollux bit his lip and turned to karkat. He just... this was his matesprit, he couldn't... Karkat sobbed again and tried to wipe his tears away. God he looked so pitiful and terrified and alive. He felt like his heart was just breaking in two. He just wanted to hold him and kiss him so he did, looping his bound wrists around karkat's neck and pulling him close into a kiss. "I'll give ya that one but ya get touchy feely 'gain and he's gettin skint." Karkat kissed back desperately, tongue immediately rubbing against his. He was gripping solluxs shirt. Sollux pulled away what seemed like entirely too soon. He pressed their foreheads together and sobbed.

"I'm th-thor-ry."

"i love you, i love you so much soll-lux. D-do it." karkat whimpered the last sentence.

He sank to his knees, pulling karkat down with him. "I'm th-thorry I-I'm thor-r-ry I'm th-tho th-thor-ry I l-love you th-tho much." He wrapped his trembling hands around Karkat's throat. He couldn't do this he couldn't do this he couldn't do this. Karkat gasped and closed his eyes, practically hyperventilating now. He was shaking as he gripped sollux's wrists. He couldn't help wanting to live. Sollux sobbed but didn't squeeze, he couldn't do this. The empress cleared her throat.

"Come on little baby, ya gonna do it then do it." Sollux sobbed and shook his head, this was too much to ask.

Karkat choked out a sob. "s-s-soll-lux ju-hust do-hoo it-t ple-hease..." he was wound tighter than a rubber band airplane.

"Ya got a minute till I step in." Sollux sobbed again and finally squeezed. He couldn't let Karkat get skinned, that could not happen. He constricted Karkat's airway and he could feel Karkat's pulse in his hands. Pale red tears dropped onto his forearms. This was horrible and wrong and cruel and fucking unneeded. He squeezed harder and started babbling out 'I love you' and 'I'm sorry'. The empress was laughing. Karkat tried to pull out of his grasp, gagging and choking. Sollux followed him and didn't let him go. He quietly sobbed out. "P-pl-e-e-ease d-dont th-thhhtrug-gle." He felt horrible, he was horrible. The empress had walked back to the helmsman and was forcing him to watch this too. Karkats head hit the floor and he winced, having pulled back and overbalanced them. He tried to lay still but his feet moved around on the floor in discomfort. Sollux leaned his weight onto his hands and prayed this ended soon, he didn't want karkat to suffer, he didn't want this to happen please let this be a dream. Karkat was crying and he gagged, hands shaking. He his back arched and he slapped his foot against the floor, claws pricking into sollux's arms. Sollux closed his eyes and babbled apologies and sobbed but he didn't let up.

The image of karkat bleeding and screaming underneath the empress was enough to keep his hands on Karkat's throat. Karkat clawed into sols arms as his struggling died down some. Sol ignored the pain, tried to ignore everything. He didn't ever want to remember this but he knew it'd haunt him the rest of his most likely very long life. Karkat grabbed his hair and yanked him down into a weak kiss, shaking hard. Sol sobbed and kissed him back gently but insistently, trying to show how much he loved him im a single kiss. Kk shuddered and started to relax, soon his lips stopped moving and his hands dropped to the floor on either side of his head. Sol curled in on himself and sobbed, not yet letting go of him. He wouldn't leave him, he wanted to die. Karkat had stopped moving entirely. His pulse was stuttering and growing languid.

The empress clapped her hands. "Good job little love. I think we're gonna get along swimmingly." Sollux didn't move, or even show he'd heard her. Karkat's pulse slowed then stilled. He was... Gone. His matesprit and closest friend was dead. All because of her. She walked over. "Didn't think ya had it in ya there a minute, but ya did it afta all. Ya know I think I will stick ya in this ship, two minds are betta than one right?" Sollux felt like his head was underwater, sound ws weird. He hurt so much, maybe he could die of that.

A broken heart.


End file.
